Autographic register



2 sheets-sheet 1 A TTORNEYS C. L. JOHNSTON AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER FlledNov 27 1925 Nov. 15, 1927.

N u h Nov. 15, 1927.

C. L. JOHNSTON AUTOGRAPHIG REGISTER Filed Nov. 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. 4

A BY ZT TKRNEYS.

the strips are tensioned in a 'new and imnnena'a Nov. 15,1927? tentsEBUOK COMPANY, LIMITED, OF TORONTO,

Application filed November This invention relates to autographicregisters and more particularly to means fortensioning the stripstherein.

An object of this invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed in which proved manner, which will be simple to arrange forWriting, efficient in operation and economical in manufacture.

A further object is to provide a device of the character described inwhich the tension upon the strips is uniform at all times, independentof pressure which may be exerted by the hand upon the cover plate.

Uther objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will inpartappear hereinafter.

.TIhe invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope ofthe application of Which will be indicated in the claims. r

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the inventionreference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is avertical longitudinal section of a register embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the ten-' sioning means, v

Fig. 3 is a fragmental top plan view of the tensioning means, and r Fig.4 is a plan of the strip with which it is desired to use the device.

In devices of the character described, it has heretofore been proposedto tension a plurality of strips as they are about to be fedover atablet, by springs bearing upon the composite strip to exert pressureupon the individual strips as they lie superposed. This has not provensatisfactory in use for many reasons, among which may be mentioned thatfor practical operation, it involves co-operation between thecover plateand the platen to tension the strips, whereas the cover plate may beflexible so that the pressure of the hand upon it is sufficient to bearit down so far as to cause it to bind the strips.

with a roller.

will feed the strips until a control aperture nn'roennrnro nnersrnn.

a7, 1925. Serial no. near.

It has been found desirable Where the strips used have printed formsthereon and control apertures in registry with the forms,

to utilize as the feeding mechanism a disc in registry with theapertures co-operating Such a feeding mechanism allows the disc to comein direct contact with the roller, whereuponno further grip ing of thesheet occurs and the feed ceases. ucha feeding mechanism has been foundin itself unsatisfactory in many cases, in maintaining the alignment. Inaccordance with this lnvention, however, it has been found that it willdo so when caused to co-operate with the proper tensioning means.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 consti tutes a casing provided at one endwith a chamber 2 for the reception of a strip supply and at the otherend 3 with a chamber for the reception'of an inscribed strip for recordpurposes. The end wall 4 of the casing is hinged to facilitate theinsertion of a flat pack 5 of zigzag folded record strips.

The feeding means comprises discs 6 adapted to cooperate with a roller 7to grip the strip between them. The discs'6 are mounted" upon a shaft 8journaled in the side walls of the casing, while the roller 7 hasmovable pivots operating in slotsv 10, which pivots are urged downwardlytowards the discs 6 by springs 11.,

A spring pressed stop 12 may be provided to limit the movement of thehandle 9 at the end of each feeding movement, while lugs 13 are locatedon the discs in position to engage the strips at the side of the controlapertures at the close of the feeding movement, in order to retain thestrips securely as they are torn off and to continue the feedingmovement until the discs again engage the strips beyond the apertures. Atablet I4 is arranged at the top of the casing 1 and a margin frame 15is hinged as at 15 to the side wall of the. casing to lie above theguides 24, hereinafter mentioned, and to be operated so as to permitaccess to the mechanism or to cover all of it, save the portion of thestrips immediately above the tablet.

The strip intended for use with this device may have control apertures16 provided in each sheet in registry with the forms, andcanan'a, aconrona'rion' or ceramic,

also an additional aperture 17 in each alter nate sheet. A spring finger18 is arranged upon a selecting disc 18 in a position to cooperate withthe aperture 1? of each alternate strip to assist in refoldmg the recordstrip in the record compartment. A housing 19 pivoted as at 20, carriesthe roll 7 whereby it is movable from a position to facilitate theinsertion of the strip through the feed, into the operative positionshown in Fig. 1.

The tensioning mechanism is as follows:

A shaft 21, mounted in the forward end of the machine, pivotally carriesa frame comprising side members 22, one at each side of the casing,connected by a tie bar 23. This frame work is movable about the shaft 21from its normal position for tensloning webs to a raised position asshown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 1 to facilitate threading. The sidemembers 22 carry spacing rods 24 extending from one of the side membersto the other and held in position by a strip 25 on one of the sidemembers which fits into slots in the spacing rods. These spacing rodsare preferably semi-circular in cross-section, thereby affording largeradius of curvature over which the strips are to be fed while affordingthe maximum space between adjacent spacing rods and serving as guidesfor the strips.

A weight member 26 is arranged to rest by gravity upon the stripsimmediately above those spacing rods 24 over which the strips are fed,and this weight is suliicient to create the desired tension upon thestrips by pressing them against the rods. The member 26 has arms 27which project rearwardly carrying pivots 28 which operate in slots 29 inthe side members 22 in order to confine the weight member to its properposition. There is, however such lost motion between the pivots 28 andthe slots 29 that the pivots are free to translate in the slots 29,whereby the weight is free to assume its own position relative to'thespacing rods 24 so that it will rest equally upon them,

thus creating an equal tension on each strip. The pivot 28, however,does prevent undue lateral displacement of the weight and prevents itsbeing fed forward by friction of the strip as the strips are advanced.

In operation, the composite strip comprising, as illustrated, threeinterfolded strips, is separated so that each of its individual stripspasses between a pair of the spacing rods 24, whereupon the tensioningframe may be lowered into place with the weight 26 resting upon thestrips. The remainder of the machine may be fed in the usual manner andthe margin frame 15 lowered into place.

It will now be seen that the first or topmost strip passes under thefirst guide rod and over the second. For this reason, it is notnecessary that the weight shall be of such size as to lie upon the firstguide rod.

The operation of the device will be evident to one skilled in the artfrom the above construction. The rotation of the handle 9 will cause thecomposite strip to be fed over the platen 14, one strip being directedinto the record compartment 3 and there refolded in compact form, whilethe others are discharged from the machine. The strip moves with thefeeding mechanism until the control apertures in the strip come oppositethe discs whereupon feeding ceases. During this operation, the weightmechanism, resting as it does upon the strip in superposed position overthe separating rods, exerts an individual tension on each strip. Thus,it through some error of registry, one of the strips should have gainedslightly on an other, not only will the feed mechanism release the feedof said strip more quickly, but moreover the constant backward separatetension upon each strip tends very distinctly to hold the advanced stripin position until the retarded strips have been brought up intoalignment.

Thus by the above construction, other objects are accomplished than theobjects herein set forth.

ince certain changes may be made in the above construction and differentembodiments of the invention could be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescripion or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. device of the character described, comprising, in combination, acasing, a frame pivoted to said casing being movable into and out ofsaid casing, a plurality of separating guides in said frame betweenwhich a plurality of strips are adapted to be placed, a weight adaptedto rest freely upon said guides and means for constraining said .weightagainst lateral displacement.

2. In an autographie register, or the like, in combination, a pluralityof strip separating guides between which the record strips are adaptedto be fed while in superposed relation to each other, feed rolls betweenwhich said strips are adapted to be gripped for being fed between saidguides, a margin frame adapted to lie above said guides, and

a weight adapted gravitatively to press said strips against said guidesindependently of pressure of said margin frame.

3. In an autographic' register, or the like, in combination, a pluralityof strip separating guides between which the record strips are adaptedto be fed while in superposed relation to each other, feed rolls betweenwhich said strips are adapted to be gripped for being fed between saidguides, a weight adapted gravitatively to press said strips against saidguides, and movable toward and from said guides, and means adapted toconstrain said weight against lateral movement.

4. In an autographie register, or the like, in combination, a pluralityof strip separating guides between which the record strips are adaptedto be fed while in superposed relation to each other, feed rolls betweenwhich said stri s are adapted to be gripped for being fe between saidguides, a pivotally mounted frame in which said guides are mounted, anda strip tensioning weight pivotally movable in said frame toward andfrom said guides, the pivots of said frame and weight being at oppositeends, respectively, of the series of guides.

5. In an autogra hie register, or the like, in combination, a p uralityof strip separating guides between "which the record strips are adaptedto be fed while in superposed relation to each other, feed rolls betweenwhich said strips are adapted to be gripped for being fed between saidguides, a pivotally mounted frame in which said guides are mounted, anda strip tensioning weight pivotally movable in said frame toward andfrom said guides, the pivots of said frame and weight being at oppositeends, respectively, of the series of guides, the pivot of said weightbeing translatable in said frame in a line transversely of the strips.

In testimony whereof I aflix m signature.

CLARENCE L. JO NSTON.

